On his 10th album, acoustic guitar virtuoso Brooks Williams stretches beyond his folk-blues background to explore fresh, complex rhythms while adhering to a less-is-more production aesthetic. Handling steel- and nylon-string guitars, as well as a bit of slide and electric, Williams is joined only by momentary bass, light harmony vocals, and hand percussion. In these simple settings, the rhythmic subtleties shine: opener "Love Came Down" has the drive of Cuban son, "Ring Bell" suggests bubbly South African township jive, and "Restless" has a strong, old-fashioned soul groove. There"s no skiffle and not much bop here--though Williams knows how to improvise with jazzy phrasings--and there"s no song as riveting as his early narrative "Mercy, Illinois," but Williams again proves that, in the hands of a master, the acoustic guitar has more than a few surprises up its strings. --Roy Kasten